Recent political trends show that prosecutor elections are becoming more competitive.

Before most Americans step into the voting booth in November, they will already know their choices at the top of the ballot, in races for governor, the Senate and House of Representatives. But a race near the bottom of the ballot – for the chief prosecutor in their local district – will probably affect the voters’ lives more directly.

As a former prosecutor and as a scholar of the criminal courts for over three decades, I have seen how local district attorneys take the lead in responding to crime. This vote matters.

Originally published on theconversation.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.